Midway through the first period of Monday’s decisive Game 7, the jumbotron at Verizon Center showed a group of fans in Washington Capitals gear seated in the first row. A tall bald man with a dark goatee pounded on the glass. His friend, sporting a beanie, high-fived fans behind them. The arena roared.
It roared because this was not just a random collection of fans. These fans were players for the Washington Wizards, who had swept the Toronto Raptors the previous night in this very arena, mere feet from where they now sat. Marcin Gortat, Rasual Butler, Paul Pierce and John Wall were among those in attendance, all wearing red, all contributing to the raucous atmosphere.
Their presence was a footnote in the Capitals’ 2-1 win over the New York Islanders, but it signified the brotherhood among professional athletes in Washington. It served as a reminder of how far the area’s professional teams have come. And the Capitals said it made a difference.
“It was actually inspiration, how they played, especially yesterday, and how they really capped [it] off,” forward Joel Ward said. “And we want to do that, too. When you’ve got a team on the brink a little bit, you want to really take them out. I thought they showed a good example, and hopefully we can kind of learn from that.”
Ward scored the first of Washington’s two goals Monday night, poking a loose puck between the legs of Islanders goalkeeper Jaroslav Halak. Rookie Evgeny Kuznetsov scored the second, turning his back to the defender and curling toward the net like a post-up move on the basketball court.
When the puck found the net, Kuznetsov skated diagonally across the ice, pumping his fist as he turned to face his teammates. When asked about his celebration, he acknowledged the Wizards.
SEE ALSO: Evgeny Kuznetsov, Washington Capitals edge Islanders in Game 7, 2-1
“I see a couple basketball players in the game and I just kind of have respect for them,” he said. “Thanks for coming to game, and we try to come to the game, too.”
The Wizards and Capitals are both owned by Ted Leonsis and play their home games at Verizon Center. Now, they are each in the second round of their respective postseasons, with the Capitals set to face the New York Rangers and the Wizards scheduled to play either the Atlanta Hawks or Brooklyn Nets.
Between their playoff performances and the World Series expectations surrounding the Washington Nationals, 2015 could be a banner year for professional teams in Washington. With a new wave of stars arriving over the past few years, Capitals coach Barry Trotz said this could be a renaissance of sorts, a moment in which the area collectively sheds the heartbreak of its recent past.
“We need to have positive attitudes. Not that old stuff,” Trotz said. “This is a new era for basketball and hockey and the baseball team, and we’re getting that football team straightened away and we’ll go from there. It’s going to be contagious. I’m telling you. It’ll affect all the sports.
“We’re looking to be one of those cities where all our sports teams are competing against each other, competing for championships, and that’s what we want to do. We want to build great organizations. We’ve got a great owner here who wants to do that, and I’m saying, all the fans, all that old stuff — get rid of it. Let’s look to a new era. Let’s build something.”
• Tom Schad can be reached at tschad@washingtontimes.com.
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